I think Im turning Japanese

So the trip begins again, this time in earnest as we had both been home for nearly two months and either needed to find real jobs or take off again. Thanks to both our family's for being so understanding and giving us such a great place to come home to.

This Bus is so Japan!

 This time it will be brand new for both of us the entire time. We had originally planned on beginning in Vietnam but the Singapore Air flights all layover in Tokyo and Singapore so Kelly made some calls and we were able to extend those layovers for several days in Tokyo and Singapore. Cool eh? We landed around 7pm Tokyo time and we were kind-of out of sorts. De-planed and headed through customs where all of my bags were thoroughly combed over. No big deal, this time around we didn't have to pack warm so we have half the stuff. We got out and had our first of many Tokyo subway/train rides. It is an extremely user friendly system and while there is Kanji everywhere, they also post everything in English and usually announce things in English as well. They really make it easy to know where you need to go and how to get there. Our hotel room was tiny but all of the hostels in the city are expensive and tiny too. These capsule rooms are indicative of the common housing situations for the Japanese as far as we can tell. We crashed when we got there and fought jet-lag for the next couple of days.

Still not sure but I think we caught a wedding procession.

The Building is designed to be a beer in a glass.

The area we stayed in was Asakusa on the eastern side of the city and was full of activity but not too close to the real hustle and bustle that Tokyo holds. We visited a temple that is very popular with tourists on day one and had our first buns. Delicious, (dad this is the best chicken chu bow of all time). From there we headed through the suburb to an area that has a building that is supposed to look like a big beer and then the designer thought it would be good to add an ornament but after construction they realized there wasn't any way to add it to the building so now it sits next to the beer building and kind-of looks like a golden cat turd. You can come to your own conclusions. We headed to the Tokyo Sky Tree after that which is a sight that cannot be missed. It is too expensive to take the ride up but it was pretty fun just walking around the mall and eating tons of free samples. Later that day we headed to the national sumo stadium and museum. Unfortunately there was to be no sumo that coincided with our stay as they only have a few big tournaments a year but we did check out the museum and caught a glimpse of a wrestler as he rode up on his bike.

Kelly challenged him, he cowered and commited seppuku in shame.

Our goal is to eat as many different meals in all of the places we visit that we can try so Japan had a ton of fun for us. We on several occasions stopped into restaurants that you purchase a ticket for your food from a vending machine and then hand it to the cook. There are pictures to help you line up what button would get which food but usually no English. It was usually a crap shoot but we had all sorts.

Fake food. This was from the area of town where shops sell these fake foods for restaurants who then set up similar windows displaying the fake version of what they really sell. Very realistic. We even saw a fake frosty cold ice covered beer.

As our jet lag was causing us some problems we decided to turn in early and use it to our advantage the following day by rising around 3:45 and attending the Tsukiji fish market. It is the largest in Tokyo and a surefire way to get the freshest and most legitimate sushi you could ever get your mitts on. We got there at 4:30 but were still too late to sign up for the exclusive tuna auction (better read as 'action'). There are very strict rules for visitors and they only allow 60 people a day to watch. We ran into some English people who stayed in the area all night from the night before at an internet cafe in order to be there to get in front of the line. We ate some good food an saw the dealings first hand. That, is a lot of fish.

Giant ornamental lanterns at Asakusa Shrine

Just one of the many delicacies for sale at the fish market.

Tokyo Stock Exchange.

After this big ordeal we found we were right next to a huge garden area that the emperor once used as hunting grounds. We took the self guided tour and of course, in true Japanese fashion, if the can they will, cause why not. We were given for free handheld tour guides that knew where we were so they would tell us what we were looking at when we walked up. This abundant use of technology is a reoccurring theme everywhere you go and look. Now pretty much all of the doors on establishments are electric but they have a push button to open it so its kind-of like Star Trek. Also the toilets are insane. With more buttons than your remote control. Some are the bidet, some blow air, some heat the seat, there are more we never figured out and The Simpsons did it best so watch the episode where they go to Japan for reference.

Shibuya crossing. Five directions of traffic stop to allow the hordes to cross. This was a little too early for the crowds.

Kelly doing her best to fit in with the locals. Posing with her Yebisu cream top at the brewery.

We were in Tokyo for a week and pretty much wiped out our list of things to do and see. Lots of museums, buildings, gardens, and food. We also stopped by the Yebisu Brewery for some delicious yet pricey brew. This was on the way across town to a suburb to meet up with my cousin Mike. He had given us tons of tips and ideas of things to see and places to go. He works at a School teaching English and lives with his Japanese wife who is also a teacher there. It was a Friday after school and the three of us (unfortunately his wife couldn't make it) had a walkabout in a different area of town and ate what were basically cabbage pancakes you cook on the griddle at your table. There was a 90 minute all you can eat and drink deal and we took advantage. Thank you Mike and Cindy for the "get yourselves a good meal" dough you tossed our way upon departure, it came in handy here. Mike is awesome and we all had a blast at dinner and followed it up hanging out in the city park watching cosplay kids practice synchronized dance moves for an upcoming event.

Cousin Mike stirring his bowl of cabbage and egg before the griddle.

Rockabilly groups that hang out and drink and dance in the parks.

Tokyo was a pricey but well worth it!

View from the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Building overlooking a large park.

Summing it All Up

Yeah it has been a while but we need to bring ourselves up to date too here. Last time we checked we were heading from awesome coffee in Salento to re-convene with our fellow Californians Keith and The Goober in Cartagena. This put us on the shores of the Caribbean and it was HOT. It was like draping yourself in a wet wool blanket and it was already 90* outside. We stayed in a neat little hostel in the bohemian section of town where rum was flowing, night parties ruled the lives of those of us who could move from the day before and the oppressive heat kept us laying low and sweating.

Cartagena

Cartagena is an important colonial town with whitewashed stone buildings and well kept and illustriously painted shops and houses. The colors of the place  match the attitude of it all. There is a large section in the middle of town that was once a walled in fort that now houses hundreds of high and low end shops as well as vendors of art jewelery and all other sorts of wares. We saw the sights and hit the beaches. Basically everywhere we went we sweat there. It is hot and still and super humid. When we were at one of the beach enclosures on the main strip the vendors ruled the day. The four of us rented chairs and umbrellas for the seating and from then on it was whatever we wanted brought to us with a flourish. Beers, food, massages, cold treats all with the wave of a hand. The water was a very un-refreshing mid 80's and super saline. We were all very buoyant and whether that was from the booze or the salt I cant say. At one point a guy with two five gallon aluminum bucket walked by and we asked what he was selling. He responded by removing the lid of one and to our delight it was full of bricks and yes i mean bricks of smoked fish. Hunks the size of your foot without bones and delish. We ate too many. Red and in a sun and food stupor we stumbled back to our hostel only to discover that tonight was a particularly good evening for salsa dancing at some of the clubs so of course we cleaned up and got out to em. Keith and Lou are practiced. Thier skill is obvious but my lack is also obvious so that night was mainly spent in awe of their abilities. and beyond them the locals can fly. Very impressive. It looks to me like sometime down the road we will be trying our hands again at the sport of salsa.

A couple of days before we had run into some old trail freinds of ours, Tom and Sheetal from England. We spent five days on the trail to Machu Picchu with them earlier in the trip and found we would all be in Cartagena at the same time. So the six of us now piled onto a boat to a small island off the coast called Playa Blanca and spent another awesome day at the beach this time with much less hubbub all around and more time to relax and bask in the awesomeness of pure white sand and crystalline azure waters.

Kelly, Keith, Tom, Sheetal, Sampling the local fare. Coconut+Rum=YUUUUM

After a couple of great days in The city it was time for us to hit the road again and say goodbye to Keith and Lou. Kelly and I were en route for the northern coat of Colombia to a national park called Tayrona. Words cannot describe this awesome stop. One of the best places I have ever been. Its a very warm and sticky hour bus ride from a place called Santa Marta which is a coastal site that leaves much to be desired. After arriving at the entrance you wait in line for 45 minutes because tourists cannot make a simple transaction to pay a park fee without shitting themselves for some reason. During our wait we were behind three young Colombians who spoke pretty good English and ended up hanging out with them for the better part of the day. The park is a chunk out of the northern coast and the trail go from east to west along the water to three areas that have been cut out of the jungle for camping. They were only there for the day but we were humping all the way to camp three for the time of our lives. Along the way you weave through leaning coconut palms and lush ferns, sloping boulders beach-side and land crab infested trails, giant spiders weaving orb webs overhead and shrieking cicadas. All very enchanting and all the while glimpses of the amazingly blue water crashing onto gleaming white sands littered with coconuts, and bordered by dark green jungles so dense that three meters in you dont even know you're near water save for the sounds.

Black Sands leeching onto the beach

We stayed for two nights, the first in a rented tent and the second in the beachcliff bungalow in hammocks. This place was paradise.

Beachside Bungalow

Sheetal, Tom, and Kelly with fruit smoothies and of course RUM!

These assholes are running all over the place

This is the panorama from the bungalow. Two coves side by side. Coconut palms, warm water.

After Parque Tayrona we regrettably returned to civilization. Our next stop was a tiny little town next to Playa Blanca called Tagonga. Tagonga is a special little place because it is the second cheapest place in the world to get a PADI scuba certification for open water. So we did.

Sea snake

Lobster

Octopus

There are upwards of 20 different companies that are in place there but we chose Aquantis and they were super pro. Everything was clean and ship shape. Our instructor was a Frenchman named Lorent. He was awesome and has been traveling around the world chasing dive sites and instructing. Three days later with two dives a day and we were certified. It is now one of my favorite things. Scuba is great.

 That pretty much sums it all up. We went back to Cartagena for a day an route to Bogota which was forgettable and we were tired and ready to be home. This trip was all that we could have asked for. So many new experiences had and barriers broken. We found ourselves safe and sound without any serious mishaps and many memories of people places and experiences that will forever change our outlooks on life. Everything is different for us now but all still very similar. We have gained a bit more perspective and broken out of our comfort zones to grow and we are better for having taken the chance and opportunity. Thanks for all our readers and supporters. We have since been back home for 7 weeks and now have around 10 days under our belts in Asia. About which we will also be writing but I needed to finish this up first.